


After Effects

by TitanLeto



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Badass Betty, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Homeless Jughead, Idiots in Love, Jealous Archie - Freeform, Misunderstandings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-28 08:06:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10080686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TitanLeto/pseuds/TitanLeto
Summary: Post Episode 1x06With no new leads on Polly or who set the car on fire, the young sleuths had to come face to face with what happened. They kissed and now they had to figure out what that meant. But will Archie get in their way?(This is my first fic, so be gentle)**ABANDONED**





	1. Chapter 1

Ever since _the kiss_ , things have been tense between Jughead and Betty. With no new leads on Polly or who set the car on fire, the young sleuths had to come face to face with what happened. Neither were totally sure what it had meant for the other, but were too afraid of rejection to find out.  
The air around them crackled as they worked on the Blue and Gold during lunch. Jughead found his eyes drifting continuously to the girl across the room, both hoping and fearing catching her eye. Unbeknownst to him, Betty was staring blankly at the computer in front of her. The blonde’s thoughts were caught on the way Jughead had choked on his words before he kissed her, the way his hands gently cupped her face, and how his lips carefully, almost fearfully, pressed against her own.  
Both teenagers were snapped out of their daze by the bell signaling the end of their lunch period. Almost in synchronicity the stood, smiling at each other awkwardly as they gathered their books. Jughead held the door open for Betty and as she passed their eyes locked. Blue catching green, and in that moment they were back in Betty’s room.  
A chill ran through Jughead as Betty blushed and swallowed loudly. He thought this might be the perfect time to bring up _the kiss_. The black haired boy steeled his nerves in preparation for the worst case scenario: his one and only crush breaking his heart and refusing to be his friend. But as soon as he opened his mouth, Betty tripped over her own feet and, stabilizing herself, scurried out of the room, avoiding Jughead’s heavy gaze.  
Looking dejectedly at his own feet, Jughead figured that Betty literally tripping over herself to get away from him was a pretty obvious answer.  
He couldn’t believe he risked their friendship like that so selfishly. Betty had been tearing down his walls without him even realizing it and he had become too comfortable—revealing his deeply buried feelings. He wasn’t sure they could ever recover from this.

 

\-----

 

Betty was still breathing hard, after nearly face planting in front of Jughead, once she made it to history class.  
“You okay, B?” Veronica asked as Betty plopped herself heavily into the seat next to her. “You’re all red and blotchy.”  
Betty resolutely stared at the books she was pulling out of her bag.  
“Yeah, just had to run here from working on the paper,” she half lied.  
Veronica studied Betty’s stiff profile before shrugging and turning to the front of the class, as their teacher started his lecture.  
Betty continued to stare down at her text book, willing her face back to its normal creamy color. She had hurried out of the Blue and Gold Office once she had realized Jughead was going to start the inevitable conversation she desperately wanted to avoid.  
Upon seeing the sad look on the captivating teen’s face, she knew he was going to tell her he had made a mistake—that he didn’t mean to lead her on. Because that is exactly what he had done; the past few weeks they had been getting closer and closer. Betty hadn’t even realized she was over Archie until she had her breath taken away by Jughead in his suit, suspenders, and perpetual beanie. She had never felt drawn to Archie like she did to Juggie in that moment. She had always thought Archie and her simply made sense; next door neighbors and best friends since childhood. But it was different with Jughead, he cloaked himself in a darkness that she recognized within herself. They were outsiders that fit together like pieces of a dark puzzle. He seemed to understand her and really see her like no one else.  
Through history, Betty absently took her notes—like the good girl she had to be—while her mind consistently drifted to charcoal black hair and bright grey-blue eyes. She could see him in her mind’s eye climbing through her window and sweeping her off her feet, kissing her with desperation.  
The bell rang, snapping Betty out of her not-so-innocent imaginings. Veronica was already standing beside her, staring down at Betty expectantly then raising her eyebrows as her eyes looked to the notebook Betty had been writing in. Betty followed her line of sight to the page under her hand.  
To her horror and embarrassment she had stopped taking notes some time ago and had begun doodling crowns absentmindedly. With numb hands Betty quickly scooped up her belongings and shoved them into her bag.  
Once she looked up at Veronica again the other girl was giving her a calculating look like she was trying to read the flustered blonde’s mind. Betty threw her bag haphazardly over her shoulder and hurried out the door, not bothering to see if Veronica was following.  
If this day was any indication, Betty wasn’t going to be able to ignore these feelings—these urges—very much longer.

 

\-----

 

The next day’s lunch found Betty and Jughead seated across from each other with the whole gang in the school quad. Whilst the group grilled Archie about what his kiss with Valerie meant, Betty and Jughead exchanged heated glances, wondering the same thing about their own kiss. Each of them wondering how long they could keep from facing the music.  
Their answer came in the form of Trev Brown walking over, all bashful smiles and hesitancy, to stop by Betty’s side.  
“Hey, Betty.” He swallowed nervously, as Jughead looked up at him suspiciously. “I know we haven’t talked in a few days, but I was wondering what my chances are of getting a second date?” Jughead’s questioning look turned to a glare as he understood the direction of Trev’s inquiry.  
Betty took a moment to process what the boy standing before her had said and glanced from his open and hopeful face to Jughead’s angry form. Seeing the latter in such a defensive pose instantly gave her hope that she had been wrong about how he felt. Deciding to take a chance, Betty turned back to Trev and replied, “Actually, Trev, I’m interested in someone else, sorry.” Trev looked disappointed, but understanding. Out of the corner of her eye Betty saw Jughead turn to look at her in shock.  
As Trev trudged off dejectedly and all their friends prodded Betty for info about her new love interest, she and Jughead exchanged secret smiles.

 

\-----

 

Betty reapplied her makeup and fixed her clothes in the mirror, waiting hopeful that Jughead would decide to come to her window and finally have the discussion she was now anxiously excited for. If the lingering touches and intense eye contact that ensued after lunch were any indication, Betty was optimistic about her budding relationship with Jughead.  
Just as she finished smoothing out her ponytail for the umpteenth time, the beautifully dark boy in question gently knocked on the window pane. Betty virtually bounded across the room to help open the window, her hands trembling.  
“Juggie,” she sighed, breathlessly. At the nickname, Jughead’s face melted into a more radiant smile than Betty had ever seen grace his lips.  
In a swift motion Jughead was in her room, looking down at her with unbridled hope and what looked suspiciously like love. She quickly stepped into his embrace, arms circling her waist, and hands gripping the back of her sweater.  
Betty reached up and brushed back a single curly black lock of hair to look Jughead directly in the eyes. Scanning his face, she could see the heated desire she herself felt.  
Without another word, Jughead’s hands came up to cup her face and pull her in for a much deeper kiss than the gentle one shared only two days ago. Betty couldn’t help the moan that escaped her lips as Jughead brought their bodies flush together and opened her mouth with his tongue.  
The short black hair was soft between Betty’s fingers as she pushed the beanie off Jughead’s head; she gripped his hair as she stood up on tiptoe to delve into his mouth as well. Jughead’s hands began to explore her back, keeping above her waist. Although Betty wished for him to grab her, even throw her onto her bed, she knew they would need to talk before taking whatever this was to that next level.  
With Jughead’s tongue sliding against hers and his fingers tracing patterns on her back beneath her shirt, Betty wanted to remain like this all night.  
Too soon, Jughead ended the kiss with a final gentle press of lips and sighed against her mouth.  
“I want to be with you Betts.” He said without preamble. “I’ve felt this way for a while now, and for a while I was able to ignore it—I had never dreamed you would feel the same. But working with you, investigating with you…” As he spoke Jughead’s thumbs were softly stroking Betty’s cheeks.  
“You always had a way with words Juggie,” she replied, shakily. After taking a deep breath, she continued, “I want that too, it just took me a while to see what was staring me in the face.”  
Jughead gave her another beautiful smile and placed a brief kiss on her lips.  
“Thank God,” he whispered. They both laughed quietly as they simply gazed deeply into each other’s eyes; for the moment forgetting dead teenagers, pregnant sisters, or homelessness.  
Suddenly Betty realized Jughead was still without his hat and she ran her hands back through his soft hair, enjoying the rare view. As she studied Jughead watching her joyfully, she took note of the pronounced bags under his, for once unburdened, eyes.  
Guiltily, she knew that they had been so focused on her and her family because of the murder. She wanted to fix that. Still smiling softly, she took Jughead’s hands and led him to sit on her bed.  
“You don’t plan on taking advantage of me, do you?” He joked.  
“Not tonight,” Betty laughed. Then she found herself looking down at their hands, ashamed she hadn’t realized how exhausted the boy on her bed had looked in the past weeks. “When was the last time you really slept?” She looked back up in time to see his expression close off. Jughead tried to withdraw his hands, but Betty held on tight and looked him hard in the eyes. “You don’t have to tell me what’s going on, but I want you to know that you can.” Betty’s words seemed to relax him slightly, but the hesitant look on his face made her think he might want to open up. “Would you stay with me tonight?” She asked, giving him both an out of this conversation and a possible solution to his sleep deprivation.  
Jughead’s smile came back, softer than before. “I would love to.”  
They spent the rest of the evening completing homework and bouncing story ideas for the paper off one another. As they worked at least one part of their bodies was always touching; knee against thigh, ankles crossing, Betty leaning back against Jughead’s chest.  
Later, as she dressed for bed, Jughead respectfully turned away to allow Betty some privacy. She slipped into bed and, after stripping down to his boxers and undershirt, Jughead joined her beneath the sheets.  
Laying on his back with Betty’s head resting on his chest and their arms around each other, the homeless teenager slept better than he had in years.

 

\-----

 

Betty’s alarm went off early the next morning, so Jughead could sneak out before her parents were awake. As he mounted the ladder to climb out her window, Betty stopped Jughead and asked sheepishly, “so does this mean we’re ‘going steady’?”  
Jughead smiled at the blushing beauty. “I’d be honored to call you my girlfriend.” Betty smiled brightly and brought him in for one more lingering kiss. “I’ll be back to walk you to school,” Jughead promised, before he descended the ladder.  
Betty quite literally skipped to the shower to ready herself for the day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one

Archie watched his two best friends kiss through Betty’s open window. His blood boiled as his eyes followed Jughead down the rickety wooden ladder. _When had that gotten there, in the first place?_

The night before, Archie had been practicing a new song when he realized he’d barely spoken to Betty in the recent days, wasn’t even sure what had happened with her sister. He grabbed his phone to text her and walked over to the window that looked out toward hers.

What he didn’t expect to see was Jughead climbing a ladder up to that same window. He watched in confusion as his friend tapped on the glass and Betty quickly appeared in view to push it open. With surprising agility Jughead hopped into Betty’s room.

Archie found himself captivated, his nose virtually pressed against his own window pane. But as Jughead pulled Betty into his arms, Archie took a surprised step back and a foreboding feeling rushed through his body. Archie knew what he was about to witness and willed it not to happen. He felt a stab of betrayal in his gut. The way Betty was looking up at Jughead hurt more than Archie expected.

He wanted to look away as the passionate kiss ensued, but Archie found himself transfixed. The redhead bathed in the jealousy that coursed through his veins, watching the couple across the way until they broke apart. It grew even worse as he saw them exchange heartfelt words. As they moved out of view of the window he finally felt capable of turning away, as though released from a spell.

But his eyes quickly snapped back to the window as he realized what direction they had been heading in. Betty’s bed. Dread filled Archie like cold water as he tried not to picture what Jughead, his supposed friend, was doing to that perfect girl.

He sat resolutely at the window late into the night, hoping Jughead would leave.

Archie had jolted awake in his chair, still seated by the window just as Jughead’s backside appeared on that damned ladder.

Now he hurried through his morning routine, wanting to catch Betty before school. Archie wasn’t sure what he wanted to say to his neighbor yet, but he needed to see her _alone_.

Upon rushing out the door, however, he found himself staring at the back of a grey beanie.

Archie’s hands were clenched into fists as he approached the young man loitering in Betty’s front yard.

“You’re not good enough for her!” Archie called out to his former friend.

Jughead whips around with confusion written on his face, but the redhead’s furious expression seemed to wash away any doubts about the meaning behind Archie’s words. _He saw us._

“Of course not, nobody is,” Jughead replied evenly. “But she deserves to be somebody’s first choice… somebody’s only choice.” He continued, bravely, raising his chin against his friend’s glare.

Archie studies his defensive stance.

“She may be your first choice, but you’re not hers,” Archie threatens with a smirk.

Jughead’s blood runs cold, dread grips his fast beating heart. Archie is going to take Betty from him; it’s clear in his eyes as Jughead shakes in anger and disbelief.

“You just want her trailing along after you while you date every other girl—and woman,” he says scathingly, “in town.”

Archie just gives him a measured look before turning and walking away.

As Jughead watches the retreating form of his friend turned competitor, he can feel his heart beating in his throat.

_I’m going to lose her after I finally just got her._

 

 

vvvv

 

 

Betty studies Jughead as they walk to school together, hand in hand. When she had rushed out the door to him, he had been staring sullenly off down the road. Once she announced her arrival he had quickly enveloped her in a secure hug; she had happily rested her head on his shoulder for a moment before they had set off.

Something was off about Jughead’s behavior; Betty knew something must have happened in the hour it took for her to get ready this morning.

Jughead insisted—though she didn’t fight him very hard—on walking her to her first class, gym. Outside the door, Jughead took her into his arms and kissed her softly, but soundly. She was a little embarrassed by the attention it received by the teenagers trickling past, but she was pleased that her boyfriend didn’t seem to have a problem letting everyone know how he felt. Once they pulled apart Jughead’s smiled turned sour as his eyes slipped over her shoulder. Betty turned in time to see Archie entering the boy’s locker room.

“Although, chances are everyone is already talking about the way you just kissed me, we don’t have to tell any of our friends about us yet.” At Betty’s words Jughead’s face fell even further. “If you want,” she clarified.

Jughead carefully let go of her and looked away before replying, “Yeah that’s probably for the best right now, right?” And he was gone before she could argue.

Betty’s heart clenched as she watched Juggie sulk off. She knew that hadn’t been the right thing to say, but he had seemed so nervous about seeing Archie.

With a sigh, she headed to the girl’s locker room to change.

 

 

vvvv

 

 

“Hey, Suicide Squad, how much did you pay Cooper to let you kiss her, huh?” Reggie Mantel, meat head jock, pushed Jughead as they entered English. “Or are you holding her sister hostage?” Jughead clenched his fists as Reggie and his friends guffawed and slapped each other on the back.

Without replying Jughead made his way to the back of the class, ignoring Kevin Keller as he tried to catch Jughead’s eye. Unfortunately he didn’t take the hint and moved to sit next to the sullen teen.

“Did I just hear that correctly?” Kevin asked, incredulously. “You, you kissed Betty?”

“So what!” Jughead burst out, causing the rest of the class and their teacher to turn and stare at him, as he fumed. Kevin just gave him a slightly scared look as he turned to the front.

“Alright everyone, I’m going to be collecting essays in five minutes,” Mrs. Hanover called out over the noise of 26 students all discussing the same subject. What did Betty see in that creepy kid?

Jughead drowned everyone out as he slowly started to sink back into the shell he’d developed before Betty had broken through. He’d made a mistake, and now his heart was needlessly breaking.


	3. Chapter 3

After being pelted in the face by a dodgeball, Betty sat on the sidelines with an ice pack on her face, more embarrassed than actually hurt. She had been too distracted thinking about Jughead to focus on the red ball hurtling toward her. At least now she could devote all her attention to deciphering Juggie’s reaction to Archie. The guitar player in question was currently throwing balls at Veronica, trying hard to get her out as they both laughed. Veronica chucked a ball at Archie and whether he wasn’t paying attention or had let it through, the ball hit him gently in the chest.

“You’re out Andrews!” Veronica called with a laugh. Archie just smiled and jogged over to sit next to Betty.

“How’s your face?” He asked once he was settled beside the blonde.

“It stings a bit, nothing serious,” she told him, honestly. “Why did you let her get you out?” She asked nodding toward Veronica, who was currently making faces at them.

“I actually wanted to talk to you,” Archie said in a weird voice. Betty looked at him in concern.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I just—just wanted to know if you wanted to get a milkshake with me after school. Like on a date?” Archie looked at Betty shyly under his eyelashes.

Betty blinked in confusion, where had this come from? She debated just telling him about Jughead, but he had been acting weird.

“Um, I’m actually busy this afternoon… paper stuff.” She finished lamely.

This just seemed to encourage Archie, “Okay what about tomorrow? Or we could catch a movie this weekend?”

Betty was even more confused now, “What about Valerie?”

“Oh, well we are just dating casually right now, but if that’s a problem I could break things off with her.”

“What! No, of course not. I don’t want you to break up with Val.” Betty was beginning to feel uncomfortable and tried to hide back behind her ice pack.

“Betty, I want to be with you.” The words coming out of Archie mouth only made her think of Jughead.

“I’m sorry Archie, I just don’t feel that way about you anymore!” She finally let loose, she was getting annoyed with his pushy behavior.

Archie’s face fell, looking totally astonished at this admonition.

“No, way!” They both jumped, as Veronica sat down on Archie’s other side. “Told you Romeo and Juliet were the exception; you’re over Archie and he wants to date you.” She quickly stopped talking at Archie’s expression. “What? You have a girlfriend anyway.”

Archie turned back to Betty, “I don’t understand, you were pining after me for, what, years? What happened in the last two months to change that?”

It finally hit Betty, _he knows_. The way Archie was looking at her, challenging her. He knew she was with Jughead now, and for some reason was trying to get her to admit it.

“I have a boyfriend, that’s what changed, and I love him.” She spit out before she could change her mind. Both Archie and Veronica’s mouths dropped open.

“What?!” They asked in unison. “O.M.G. Who is this amazing mystery man?” Veronica continued, as Archie stared at Betty in complete disbelief.

Steeling her nerves, Betty opened her mouth. Before she could shape the name however, Cheryl came running up.

“Heard you were swapping spit with your little sidekick before class,” she said with a smirk and a flip of her hair. “He any good in bed?”

“Sidekick?” Veronica asked, confused, before her eyes widened like saucers. “Jughead?!”

“We haven’t… you know,” Betty sputtered in Cheryl direction before smiling bashfully at Veronica.

“Then what were you two doing in your bedroom all night?” All three females immediately focused on Archie, who was glaring at Betty.

“What?” Betty squeaked.

“I saw you two,” was Archie’s only reply, as he continued to glower at her.

“Home—homework, the newspaper.”

“All night?”

Cheryl and Veronica’s eyes were bouncing back and forth, between the two arguing, like they were following a tennis match.

“Well, no, he slept over. And I really mean we slept. It seemed like he was having a hard time sleeping at home, so I asked him to stay.” Veronica looked sad and understanding. Archie looked like he didn’t believe her for a second. But it was Cheryl expression that worried her; the girl stood before her with a wolfish grin.

“What home?”

Silence followed her question as the other three tried to understand what she meant.

“Sigh, you really didn’t know that the Jones’ trailer was repossessed over the summer?” Cheryl looked particularly thrilled to be the one delivering this news.

“What?” Was all Betty could come up with.

“Oh yeah, then he was supposedly staying at the twilight drive-in, but of course your dad,” she said pointed to Archie, “tore that down. So who knows where he’s been staying since then. I mean his dad is the leader of the Southside Snakes, so I doubt it’s with him, and his mom and sister are MIA.” Cheryl was studying her nails, like she didn’t care either way.

Betty stood quickly, throwing the ice pack to Cheryl, as she took off out of the gym. 


	4. Chapter 4

The bell rang as Betty made it around the corner to Jughead’s class. She sped up, not wanting to miss him, and ran directly into the boy she was looking for.

“Shit,” she said, surprising both of them with the curse, as she reached out to steady him and herself. “Sorry, Juggie.” Betty paused, realizing that Jughead wouldn’t look directly at her. Just then Reggie and his gang trolled past and whistled loudly.

“That girl really must be crazy. Come on girly, why hang with that loser, when you could have a piece of this?” Reggie winked at her.

At this point Betty was so fed up with the way people had been talking to her today, and the look of sad acceptance on Jughead’s face as he started to turn away from her was the last straw. She reached out to grab her boyfriend’s wrist, “Wait.” Was all she said, and once he nodded reluctantly, she turned to deal with Reggie.

Betty’s fist connected with Reggie’s nose with a loud crunch and a collect gasp from the group of on looking students.

“Call me crazy all you want, but my boyfriend is no loser. He’s smarter than you lot and he has aspirations beyond the next week. Can’t say that about you, can I?” While Reggie clutched his bleeding nose and his friends stared at her in bewilderment, Betty grabbed Jughead’s hand and quickly ran for the Blue and Gold office.

Once they were behind closed doors, Jughead turned toward Betty with an incredulous look on his face.

“What just happened back there?”

Betty sighed and dropped into the nearest chair, “I’m tired of the way people are talking to me today; first Archie, then Veronica, Cheryl, and now Reggie.” She rubbed her forehead and looked up at Jughead sheepishly. He observed her for a second, a sad look on his face before sitting down next to her.

“What did the first three have to say?” Betty hadn’t seen him this subdued in months.

“Well, Archie—“

“There you two are!” Veronica burst into the room, cutting off Betty and receiving a scathing look from Jughead. “Why on earth did I have to learn about you two from Cheryl?”

“Veronica, this really isn’t a good time…” Betty gave her a meaningful look, and Jughead felt his heartbreaking even more.

“Oh, right,” Veronica gave Jughead a sad little smile, cementing his suspicion that Archie had said something to win over Betty. Veronica quickly exited the newspaper office and Betty turned back to Jughead with a heavy sigh.

While the beautiful girl in front of Jughead studied his face, he tried to memorize hers; he just wanted to hold onto the night they had spent together for a few more moments before it was all over, much too soon. She reached out with her pale, creamy hands to hold his rough ones and said the words nobody ever liked hearing.

“We need to talk,” Jughead closed his eyes and just breathed in her scent. “There are a couple things that happen during gym that you should hear about… Juggie, please look at me.” She pleaded. When he complied, he found her looking at him with compassion and caring. “Please, let me say everything I want to say before you respond.” After Jughead nodded his understanding, she continued, “Archie asked me out,” Jughead started to look away, before Betty reach out and grabbed his chin. “I said no, Juggie. Obviously, I said no.” Her boyfriend stared at her with genuine surprise. “You didn’t think I would just leave you like that did you?” At Jughead ashamed frown, Betty shook her head and chuckled sadly. “Jughead Jones, how dare you not realize how much you mean to me.” Betty cupped his face in her palms, stroking his cheeks slowly.

“But you’ve been in love with Archie for years,” Jughead simply didn’t understand why Betty hadn’t chosen the red head over him, not that he could complain. “I mean this morning, he made it clear—“

“You spoke to him this morning?” Betty said, now the one confused. Understanding and anger showed on her face as she realized what we was saying, “He’s the reason you’ve been so off today, isn’t he? And love?” she scoffed, without letting Jughead reply. “He was a dream of how I wanted my life to be, I’m over that now. I’d prefer to live in the real world with you.” Remembering that she had asked him a question, she inquired, “What did he say to you?”

Jughead was still trying to catch up with everything Betty had said, at a million miles an hour. She didn’t plan on leaving him. His brain stopped there, a wide grin splitting his face. “Who cares? It doesn’t really matter in the long run.” He was soaring, the ice beneath his skin thawing as he realized how silly he was being before. Years of insecurity and closing himself off from the world taught him to guard himself preemptively. He should have known better when it came to Betty, though. She was someone he could trust, she had proven that countless times.

“He’s your friend, of course it matters what he said!” Betty was getting worked up again, and Jughead quickly took her hands in his.

“Archie just told me I didn’t deserve you, which I already knew, and made it clear he intended on pursuing you.” Jughead tried to explain in a calm voice.

Betty’s eyebrows rose dangerously high, “Don’t deserve me, he has no clue what he’s talking about.” She took a moment to close her eyes and breath, “You deserve happiness Juggie, if I can be a small piece of that then I’m not going anywhere. You do so much for me, I can’t think of a more deserving person.” Opening her eyes, Betty fixed Jughead with a serious stare, making sure he knew she meant what she said.

“You do make me happy, Betts, that’s why I was so scared. I’m sorry for acting like such an idiot, I should have trusted you.” He brushed a stray hair behind her ear and leaned in for a kiss that seemed to reassure her just as much as him.

“That isn’t the only thing we need to discuss,” Betty continued, resting her forehead against Jughead’s with her eyes still closed. “How long—“ She started, pulling back and clearing her throat. “How long have you been homeless?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, as though she thought her words would scare Jughead off. Instead the teenager froze with a look of horror on his face.

“Who said that?” He began to sweat, fearing her pity.

“Cheryl… That’s what you didn’t want to talk about last night? Jughead,” she sighed, “You don’t have to do everything by yourself, that’s what I’m here for. That’s what Archie is supposed to be here for.” She finished with ice filling her last sentence.

“There isn’t anything you can do about it,” Jughead was relieved that her immediate response wasn’t to ask for more information. He wanted to tell her about his father, but he couldn’t yet.

“Of course there is, you can stay with me.” Betty said this like it was the most obvious answer.

“Betty, what about your parents?” he shook his head at her, knowing this wasn’t going to stop her.

“What about them? They don’t need to know.”

At this Jughead actually laughed, “Yeah, and can you imagine their faces when they eventually catch me in your bed?” Betty smirked before looking down at their joined hands.

“I’m willing to take that risk if you are. If Archie wasn’t being such and ass I’d say stay with him…” She looked up at him with a cautious look on her face. “He knows, by the way. He and Veronica were both there when Cheryl told me.”

Jughead sighed, “Soon everyone will know. No wonder Veronica gave me such a tragic look, I thought it was because you were breaking up with me.”

“I’m in this for the long haul, Juggie. We’ll figure all this out, but for tonight you are staying with me.”

As the young couple exchanged smiles, Principal Weatherbee came storming in.

“Ms. Cooper, please come with me.” Weatherbee pointed out the door, clearly here to reprimand her for the damage to Reggie’s face. Betty wondered what her punishment would be, if she hadn’t recently gotten in trouble for the whole “Chuck thing” she suspect he would have let her off easy. Now though, she was a repeat offender and bound for detention or worse suspension.

“See you tonight,” she said, calmly to Jughead before following the principal to her doom. Her parents were not going to be happy with her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archie & Jughead heart to heart.

“Once again I’m getting wrapped up in girls, when there are much bigger things going on.” Archie said sheepishly, as he joined Jughead walking down the hall towards the cafeteria. Jughead looked up without bothering to hide his surprise.

“That was a crappy apology,” He snarked, half-heartedly, too emotionally drained to argue.

“I am sorry—for what I said this morning. I thought Betty was settling for you, but the way she defended you proved me _very_ wrong. You must make her happy. I can’t believe how jealous I got; I just never thought I would have to fight with you for a girl—I mean you never seemed interested in, well, anyone. I also sort of thought she would always be there waiting.” Archie paused his monologue with a scoff, “Wow that sounded way less douchey in my head.”

Jughead chuckled lightly, “I know what you mean. I always thought she would just sit in the background waiting for you until you were ready.”

“And how long were you sitting in the background, waiting for her?” Archie gave his friend a knowing look.

Jughead cleared his throat awkwardly, “Long enough to think it’d never happen.”

“But it did, and I mean looking at it now I can’t say I’m that surprised. You too are more alike than you seem. You’re lucky man, as much as she liked me I don’t think Betty ever truly loved me,” Archie cast a sideways look at Jughead wondering how to bring up what Cheryl had said.

“I don’t think I’m going to get quite that lucky. I’m content being in Betty’s life for as long as she’ll let me, but love? Nah, man.” Jughead smiled sadly at his feet.

“Dude, when I asked her what changed her mind about dating me she literally said ‘I have a boyfriend, that’s what changed, and I love him’.” Archie was looking at Jughead like he was stupid or crazy, or both.

Jughead stopped dead in the hallway, people swerving around him with loud protests. Archie stopped a few feet in front of him with a small smile on his face.

“Like I said, you’re lucky.” He came up to stand before Jughead, and decided to simply dive headlong into the difficult conversation he had been avoiding. “I’m sure Betty’s already talked to you, but Cheryl said a lot of things during gym… About you, about your family.”

“My family?” Jughead cut in, snapping out of the daze Archie’s previous words about love put him in. “What about my family?” _Betty didn’t say she knew anything about my family._

“Well, that your Mom and Jellybean are gone and your Dad…” He stopped briefly as a student passed closed to them, “that your Dad was a Serpent.” He continued in a whisper, “Why didn’t you say anything, man?”

“Crap,” was all Jughead could think to say. Hearing he was homeless from Cheryl was one thing, but he wanted to have time before he had to explain to Betty about his family—especially his father.

“Look, Jug, I know today wasn’t a very good indication; but I’m your friend, even when I’m being a dick, and you can come to me with these things. Which is why you now have an open invitation to sleep over, anytime.” Archie was trying to catch Jughead’s eye, but he was clearly stuck on some inner turmoil. “Jug, what’s wrong?”

“Betty didn’t say anything about my family,” he finally admitted with a sigh, “that’s really not how I wanted her to find out.” Looking at the ground, Jughead confided in his friend, “My dad, he sort of fell off the wagon this summer.” Archie nodded his understanding, knowing this wasn’t something he should push Jughead to talk about.

“Where is Betty, by the way?” He realized he hadn’t seen the girl since she bolted out of gym class early that morning.

“She punched Reggie in the face, so Weatherbee’s office most likely.” Jughead told him as though this shouldn’t be a surprise.

“What? Why?” Archie asked, definitely surprised.

“He called her crazy and me a loser,” He said with a proud smile, thinking about the look on Reggie’s face. The pair turned and continued down the hallway.

“Well that was dumb of him,” Archie chuckled.

“He is definitely a prime candidate for natural deselection,” Jughead joked, causing both teens to laugh.

“So can we forget all the ugliness from this morning? I’ll buy you a burger from Pop’s.” Archie said with a hopeful look on his face.

“I never say no to a burger,” Jughead smiled, “and thank you for the invitation. I’m all set for tonight though.” He thought back to his girlfriend’s face and hoped Weatherbee wasn’t being too strict with her, she was going to be getting enough flak from her parents when they heard about this.

**Author's Note:**

> Please, please, please leave a comment with any suggestions or critiques! Thank you for reading!


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